The carrying of money and valuables has always created a problem. The problem is especially acute in the case of women whose garments often are devoid of pockets. Carrying money and valuables in purses creates vulnerability to loss and theft.
Heretofore, special arrangements for carrying money and valuables on the persons of women has been relegated to the use of belts or other carrying devices intended for securing beneath the outer clothing. Access to the money and valuables when desired is difficult or impossible when in public or in the company of other persons.
Some men's belts having pockets for carrying money or valuables are intended for wearing on the exterior clothing. Those belts are of a size which restricts the nature or amount of materials which may be concealed in the belts. Moreover, the belts must be removed before removing or adding concealed contents. Awkwardness and vulnerability attend the storing or retrieving material from men's externally worn money belts.
Collections of money belts are found in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Class 222, Package and Article Carriers, subclasses 229 (money belts), 228, 227 and 224 and in Class 2, Apparel, subclasses 311 and 312.
Examples of U.S. patents found in those subclasses are:
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 29,490 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. Des. 261,196 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,289,186 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,371 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,004,412 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,312,808 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,158
The money belts shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 29,490 and Des. 261,196 are not intended to look like ordinary articles of clothing and the pockets are not concealed.
The money belts shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,289,186; 1,418,371 and 2,351,158 do not appear as normal articles of clothing. The belt shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,371 is intended to be worn under clothing. The belt shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,289,186 requires awkward opening and sliding and revealing of the nature of the belt during its use. U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,158 is intended not to conceal the nature of the belt but rather to conceal the additional pockets within the belt.
The men's belts shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,004,412 and 2,321,808 have restricted pockets and require the removal of the belt before opening the pocket.
A need persists for a money belt, especially a belt for women, which can be worn outside the clothing, which can conceal money and valuables while concealing the special nature of the belt and which is easy to use without removing the belt from the person.